The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has imposed an administrative fine on SÖZCÜ TV due to remarks made by guest Türker Ertürk regarding the government, where he stated they were "acting as a subcontractor for imperialism" during the program "Öncesi Sonrası Gece" (Before and After Night), hosted by Senem Toluay Ilgaz.
RTÜK ruled that these expressions violated broadcasting principles on the grounds that they "did not show respect for human dignity and the privacy of private life, and were of a humiliating nature that exceeded the limits of criticism for individuals or institutions," and subsequently issued a 3% fine to SÖZCÜ TV.
The board also issued fines to many opposition channels. Radio and Television Supreme Council member İlhan Taşçı announced the fines imposed on Halk TV, Tele 1, Netflix, and Spotify platforms in a post regarding the penalties.
Taşçı's post is as follows:
Tele 1, Halk TV and Sözcü TV's licenses could be revoked, their screens could be completely blacked out!
— İlhan Taşcı (@ilhantasci) June 26, 2025
The RTÜK President's sword will hang over the televisions…
* Halk TV was fined for the program "Sinem Fıstıkoğlu ile Sansürsüz" (Uncensored with Sinem Fıstıkoğlu) due to Nuclear Engineer Tolga Yarman's comments that "Turkey is not becoming religious…
News Source: 12punto
